Civil servants earn presidential honors

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Two civilians within Air Force Materiel Command are among 24 senior executives selected for the nation’s highest civil service award.

Patsy Reeves, a member of the Senior Executive Service and the Executive Director for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, along with Dr. Richard Linderman, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives and the Chief Scientist, Information Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), were chosen for the 2014 Presidential Distinguished Rank award. Only 1 percent of the SES corps is eligible for the honor.

Reeves is the top civilian in AFLCMC, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The center is responsible for total life cycle management covering all aircraft, engines, munitions and electronic systems. Reeves was appointed to the SES in December 2001 while serving as Director of Contracting at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Georgia.

She stated the Presidential Distinguished Rank award is significant to the SES community.

“Civilian Senior Executives are managed through a performance-based pay system to help attract, retain, recognize, reward and motivate highly competent individuals,” Reeves explained. “Part of that performance-based pay system is the opportunity to be rewarded through bonuses and Presidential Rank awards. These awards are the most prestigious form of recognition since they reflect accomplishments over time … sometimes even across an entire career. Given the few number of awardees and the high caliber of Senior Executive Service members, receipt of a Presidential Rank award is a very high honor.”

Regarding her thoughts on why she was selected this year, Reeves stated it’s related to three AFMC positions she has held over the last eight years.

“In each situation, my organization faced significant challenges with big implications,” Reeves said. “I was fortunate in each job to lead teams of highly talented, motivated individuals and together we achieved some significant accomplishments.

“My award nomination package emphasized the challenges of those jobs and the impact we had,” Reeves continued. “Those accomplishments included successful award of several large contract negotiations and definitizing multiple high-visibility undefinitized contract actions (UCAs) at Aeronautical Systems Center and helping to design and implement the 2012 AFMC reorganization within the contracting career field.” UCAs are any contract action for which the contract terms, specifications, or price are not agreed upon before performance is begun under the action.

“Throughout all three positions workforce hiring and development initiatives have been a priority for me,” Reeves said. “My teams have hired over 900 high-potential interns, implemented civilian deployment opportunities, established cross-center and cross functional rotational assignments, and delivered monthly training webinars, some viewed by over 1,000 participants worldwide.”

Reeves said that each of the accomplishments detailed in the award nomination was personally satisfying.

“Our teams knew we had achieved some big things, we’d had positive impact, and we are very proud of having made a difference,” Reeves said. “Receiving this award and the more public recognition is a personal honor, but what really counts is the organizations and people that have been impacted.”

Linderman has been affiliated with Rome Lab, New York, since 1991. His selection was based in part on developing the Department of Defense’s most cost-effective and power-efficient supercomputer by combining 2,000 PS3 gaming consoles with NVidia Graphics accelerators and high performance networking. Linderman also led the restructuring of the Information Directorate’s programs to allow them to grow from $700 million in 2010 to more than $1 billion in 2015.

“I consider this award to be a capstone accomplishment for my civil service career,” Linderman said. “The sacrifices made by my wife and family along with the great support of the Information Directorate team allowed me to make contributions that led to this award.”

Two additional AFMC civilians – Dr. Morley Stone and Charles Babish IV – are among 89 individuals selected for 2014 Presidential Meritorious Rank award. Stone, a member of the scientific and technical cadre of senior executives, is the Chief Technology Officer for Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Babish a senior level executive, is the technical advisor, Aircraft Structural Integrity within AFLCM’s Technical Engineering Services Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB

The Meritorious award is the second-highest award given to selected career SES members. Five percent of the SES corps and those in Senior Level and Scientific and Professional positions may receive this honor.

Both awards recognize high-performing senior career employees for “sustained extraordinary accomplishment.” Executives from across government are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by citizen panels, and designated by the President.

Winners are deemed to be strong leaders, professionals, or scientists who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry, and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service.

Senior Executive Service, or SES, is a position classification in the civil service of the U.S. federal government. An SES is similar to general officer or flag officer ranks in the armed forces.

Distinguished Rank honorees receive a monetary award equivalent to 35 percent of their annual basic pay. Meritorious Rank recipients receive 20 percent of their rate of annual basic pay. All recipients receive a framed certificate signed by the president.

According to the Senior Executives Association, the cadre of distinguished and meritorious award recipients has saved the government more than $32 billion.

A ceremony honoring Air Force Presidential Distinguished Rank and Meritorious Rank award recipients took place June 5 in the Pentagon. Selections for Presidential Rank awards were announced in April.